THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This weekend I am on my first trip
outside the United States since the election, traveling to South
America for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. I am meeting
with many allies and friends to strengthen our ties across the Pacific
and discuss practical ways we can enhance prosperity, advance liberty,
and improve our shared security.

America and the nations of Latin America and Asia share many vital
interests. All Pacific nations benefit from free and fair trade, the
foundation of this region's remarkable prosperity. The United States
has completed free-trade agreements with nations throughout Asia and
the Americas, including Australia, and Singapore, Chile, the five
nations in Central America, and the Dominican Republic. We are also
negotiating new agreements with Thailand, Panama and the Andean nations
of South America. America has opened our markets, and I will urge
other countries to do the same.

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Pacific nations also have a clear interest in spreading the
benefits of liberty, democracy and good government across this vital
part of the world. From the recent history of the Asia Pacific region,
we know that freedom is indivisible. The economic liberty that builds
prosperity also builds a demand for limited government and self rule.
Modernization and progress eventually require freedom in all its
forms. And the advance of freedom is good for all, because free
societies are peaceful societies.

America and our friends are helping other countries lay the
foundations of democracy by establishing independent courts, a free
press, political parties and trade unions, by instituting the rule of
law and by keeping up the fight against corruption.

America joined with other members of the Organization of American
States to create the Inter-American Democratic Charter. This charter
recognizes democracy as the fundamental right of all peoples in the
Americas and pledges our governments to promoting and defending the
institutions of liberty.

All Pacific nations must also keep up the fight against the forces
of terror that threaten the success of our economies and the stability
of the world. At last year's summit, APEC leaders started a major
initiative to strengthen the security of ports and transportation
networks, to defend our aircraft from the threat of portable missiles,
and to end the flow of terrorist finances. This year, APEC leaders
will work together to improve the security of our ships and ports. We
will develop a new system to track and stop the travel of suspected
terrorists using forged or stolen documents. And we launched new
programs to support APEC members that have the will to fight terror,
but need help in developing the means. Terrorism is a threat not just
to the West, or to the wealthy, but to every nation. And every nation
must fight the murderers.

During my trip, I will also meet with President Lagos, of Chile,
and President Uribe, of Colombia, to reaffirm our strong ties with
those nations. Colombia is making progress in the fight against
terrorists who traffic in illegal drugs, and America is standing with
the Colombian government to oppose the drug trade that destroys lives
in our countries and threatens the stability of our hemisphere.

In my second term, I will continue to pursue a confident foreign
policy agenda that will spread freedom and hope and make our nation
more secure. America seeks wider trade and broader freedom and greater
security for the benefit of America, our partners, and all of the
world.